The Doobie Brothers originated from jam sessions by singer/guitarist Tom Johnston, drummer John Hartman, bassist Dave Shogren and guitarist Patrick Simmons. Johnston and Hartman knew each other from the country-rock band Pud, which split up after a short period.
Marijuana
The four decided to take their music seriously and named their band Doobie Brothers, referring to the group's marijuana use. The band quickly gained a loyal following in Southern California, especially popular among the Hell’s Angels. In 1971, their first album, simply called Doobie Brothers, was released. At the time of the second album's release, Shogren was replaced by Tiran Porter and a second drummer was added, Michael Hossack.
Changes
The album was titled Toulouse Street and produced the hit singles ‘Listen to the Music’ and ‘Jesus Is Just Alright’. What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits was the title of the next Doobie Brothers album. Michael Hossack was replaced by Keith Knudsen for that record. Former Steely Dan guitarist Jeff Baxter also featured on the album. Baxter eventually became a true ‘Doobie’ and can be heard on the next Doobie Brothers album: Stampede (1975). During the promotional tour for that album, Tom Johnston fell ill and was replaced by Michael McDonald.
Successful sound
The success of Stampede was disappointing, so the band decided to take a different direction. McDonald and Baxter gained more influence and the band incorporated more jazz and funk influences, clearly heard on the album Takin' It to the Streets. The new Doobie Brothers sound earned the band a platinum record. The next album, Minute by Minute, was even more successful, partly thanks to the single ‘What a Fool Believes’.
Farewell
After this album, Baxter and Hartman left the band. It took a year before replacements were found. Guitarist John McFee, drummer Chet McCracken and saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus joined the band and played on the album One Step Closer. In 1982, the band announced they were breaking up. There was a farewell tour and a live album, simply called Farewell Tour.
Return?
Five years later, in 1987, the band reunited for a short reunion tour, without McDonald. In 1989, the band relaunched with several members from the early Doobies: Johnston, Simmons, Hartman, Porter, and Hossack. The album Cycles eventually went gold and the Doobie Brothers seemed to be back. However, this was not the case; the next album, Brotherhood, was a disappointment and the Doobies decided to focus on touring.
Top 2000
In the 23rd edition of the Top 2000, the Doobies hold the following positions:
Sunday Morning Classic
On Sunday 3 September 2023, the Doobies took to our Sunday Morning Classic stage with their 3rd studio album from 1973, The Captain and Me.
What a wonderfully beautiful album this remains, even after all these years!
The album was released on 2 March 1973 by Warner Bros. Records. It contains some of their most popular hits, including "Long Train Runnin'", "China Grove" and "Without You". It was ranked number 835 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). The band was under pressure to act quickly and to save time they began reworking old songs. One of Tom Johnston's songs, "Osborn", was an improvisational piece the band played live.
For the recording of The Captain and Me, synthesizers and strings were employed. Synth programmers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff were brought in to engineer the opening track "Natural Thing". While aiming for a synthesised sound like The Beatles' "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", they overdubbed individual notes to create chords for the bridge of the song.
"Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" was a bluesy number (one of the band's first) and was seen by Johnston as a tribute to the blues and BB King. "South City Midnight Lady", although about South San Francisco, is not about a particular woman. Jeff Baxter from Steely Dan played pedal steel guitar on the track. He would become an official Doobie Brother in 1974. Cecil and Margouleff also added the synthesised effect of a whispering woman at the end. "Clear as the Driven Snow" is, according to Johnston, a warning against recreational chemical abuse, reflecting the lifestyle of the band members at the time. The second side of the album opens with the rocker "Without You". This song, like many others, began as a jam.
This album is and remains brilliant. Alternating between sometimes hard-hitting work and then more restrained and melodic. What strikes me every time anew is how incredibly well the different band members play together, especially given such a varied repertoire.
A classic that belongs in every record collection!
Source: NPO Photo: public domain
Below you will find the ten best albums by The Doobie Brothers, at least that's what we think. If you are looking for a specific album, please let us know. We are happy to help you search!
